The Academy of Professional Educators is unique in their internship requirement. The internship is built into the Teaching as a Profession II course during their senior year. A student must complete at least 120 hours of on-the-job experience while working on key projects of value. In addition, students are required to reflect upon their experience through journal entries and other assignments. Students will receive high school honors credit for their internship. Credit and grades are assigned after the student completes all requirements and submits all work to the Academy Coordinator.

An internship is an experience in which a high school student takes a responsible role as a worker in a company or organization and then reflects on the experience. The Internship Program is a supplement to formal classroom instruction. It intends to significantly add to the instructional program's vitality and impact a student's courses. The Wake County Public School System requires all students enrolled in a Career Academy to complete an internship before graduation to graduate with the academy distinction. Students in the Academy of Professional Educators will complete their internship during their Teaching as a Profession II course during their senior year.

Expected outcomes of this experience for students include:

• Increased self-esteem and personal growth derived from successfully meeting new interpersonal and intellectual challenges.
• Acquired new skills and knowledge.
• Increased exposure to various work roles and career choices.
• Increased understanding of the relationship between school-based learning and work experience
• Increased understanding of the relationship between school-based learning and work experience.
• Increased opportunities for high school students to explore areas of academic career or service interest.
• Development of positive relationships between the internship program, the school, and the community.